Checkers The Clown In The News

**Lindsay Daily Post February 2002**
No clowning, Checkers wins award KRISTI SETTERINGTON Daily Post Reporter KAWARTHA LAKES - Bookie Bell was overwhelmed to learn Checkers Entertainment Service received one of the three Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement awards. Winner in the small business category, Bell said she was honoured to be presented with her award at the Evening of Excellence dinner. Bell started her entertainment business almost four years ago, and has been going full force ever since. Checkers the Clown and Bookie Bell are two characters developed and portrayed by Bell. Surprised to learn she had won the award, she said good things come in threes. Last fall she received the first of three honours. Her second honour came when Clowns Canada chose her Clown Pledge to serve as its own. So she knew a third good thing was coming her way, but still she was surprised to learn her business had won this prestigious award. The road to success hasn’t been an easy one, as Bell has put a lot of hard work into her ever-growing business. All that hard work has paid off though. She’s booked three to six months in advance and future plans include creating a sponsored colouring book and publishing a storybook featuring her characters. “It’s hard to vision what’s going to happen with the future, but I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.” She includes possibly even creating another character in the future. Family support has been extremely important to Bell. Her daughter is also a professional clown. “It’s been nice to be able to work with her,” she said. Supporting her as well are her husband and son. Bell said she’s always clowned around, but after taking an eight-week basic clown course, it whet her appetite and she followed it up with an advanced course. Bell then took a business course and it set on her course of opening the popular entertainment business of Checkers Entertainment Service. Checkers and Bookie Bell, her booking agent, travel across Ontario bringing good cheer and laughter to children of all ages. Company sales continue to rise with more and more services offered by the two characters. If you’re looking for entertainment for your family reunion, corporate event or birthday party, perhaps Checkers the Clown and Bookie Bell are the answer. Together they provide their audiences with magic shows, loot bags, craft kits, face painting and a wide range of party packages. Shows are performed with full audience participation, singing, magic and story telling. ‘My entertainment service offers a stress relief for grumpiness developed from life’s little irritations.” Uplifting, and inspiring, is how Bell describes performances.

**THE BUSINESS TIMES February 2000**
Just clowning around is her job. BY BILL EEKHOF Bookie Bell clowns around a lot on the job, but finds it doesn’t hurt business. It wasn’t always that simple, especially after the Fenelon Township woman found herself out of work at Viskase Canada in Lindsay nearly two years ago. The layoff forced her to look long and hard at her career options. “Life has a funny way of showing us where we are supposed to be,” she says upon reflection. Bell’s first step was taking an employment counseling course to see what her strengths and weak nesses were. It was confusing at times, she admits, with in excess of 1,200 possible job paths to choose from. By the end of the three-week course, Bell found she was best suited for two options — the top one being a clown, the next a politician.	WHO’S THAT GIRL? None other than Bookie Bell, alias Checkers the Clown, who has carved out a unique business niche running her own clowning and motivational speaking service
Bell says the two careers seem opposite. But not when you consider they both involve “performing.” As well, she wasn’t a stranger to either. Before Viskase, Bell had served as a municipal councilor in Victoria County. She has also worked as a tax collector and ran a Fenelon Falls- based business with her husband Don. Clowning has always been a “stress releaser,” Bell says. She had taken a basic clowning course in 1993 and dressed up for parades and other events, but never considered it as a career before. Bell changed her view last year and took a 12-week entrepreneurship program to look at the viability of starting her own clowning business. By mid-1999, her business plan had been Okayed and she was on her way to becoming ‘Checkers the Clown.’ “I’m totally different in character,” Bell says. “I’m wired when I clown.” Before taking the plunge into business, she bought a van, props, outfits and attended clown school. Since hanging out her shingle as a clown, she’s kept busy. Between June and October last year, she only had two weekends off. In December, she did 15 shows in 19 days. Over New Year’s, she also kept busy with some millennium shows. Bell’s advice for business: “Do what you love to do. Money and fulfillment will come.” Bell charges $100 to $400 per show, with performances typically lasting an hour. Of course the preparation time for an event is much longer what with travel and getting into the clown character. Surprisingly, she’s found children’s events are the minority of her business, only making up one-third. The bulk of her business is made up of corporate clients. She’s clowned at fairs for various agricultural societies in the area and children’s Christmas parties for the likes of Fleetwood Canada. A clowning show varies by crowd, but usually involves skits, songs, gags and balloons. Bell also has two associates who help her setting up or dressing up as extra clown characters. Besides clowning. Bell’s business also incorporates a motivational speaking ser vice for clients. At times, the two fields cross over. Some clients will have her put on a program of laughter as Checkers the Clown in the morning, Bell says, and then in the afternoon have her give a motivational message as Bookie Bell. Bell says she likes being her own boss and having control at performances where she is front and centre. She sees growth potential in her field as well. “I believe this is a trend,” Bell says. “People are desperate for laughter. People are so stressed.” She counts herself fortunate for getting focused and knowing what she wants to do. One point between jobs a few years ago. she tried out of desperation to sell home baking out of her car trunk to passersby on the road. “I felt I was begging,” she recalls.

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Created by Steve Coppin Webs Copyright © 2002 Checkers The Clown All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies or mark holders.

No clowning, Checkers wins award